CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson believes he’s on the verge of kicking in the door and getting his first Sprint Cup win.

The 23-year-old seems to be getting close.

Larson finished second two weeks ago at Dover, then had a chance to win the All-Star exhibition race at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend before losing control of his car and hitting the wall following a challenge from Joey Logano.

He wound up finishing 16th, missing out on a chance for a breakthrough win and the $1 million first-place prize.

“It would mean a lot to get it anywhere, but especially here at Charlotte, close to home,” Larson said of his first Sprint Cup win. ” … We have been rolling good the last few weeks. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum going. Our car has been getting a lot faster.”

Whether it will be fast enough Sunday night in the Coca-Cola 600 – NASCAR’s longest race of the year – remains to be seen.

INDY 500: Tony Kanaan was so frustrated during qualifying that he was simply relieved once it was over.

Now, his attitude has turned to full-blown optimism.

Kanaan was the fastest in the final round of practice for the 100th Indianapolis 500, posting a lap of 226.280 mph to highlight a frantic Carb Day that saw Pippa Mann slam the wall midway through the session.

Carlos Munoz spent most of the hour-long practice atop the speed charts.

But the popular Kanaan bumped Munoz, a Honda driver, late in practice to give Chevrolet the top spot in what is shaping up to be an intriguing battle between the two engine manufacturers.

Munoz had a lap of 224.772, followed by Scott Dixon, Will Power and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

“I’m happy with my car. Obviously I have to pass 17 people before I get really happy with my car,” said Kanaan, who will start 18th for Chip Ganassi Racing on Sunday.

Kanaan started 12th when he won the Indy 500 in 2013.

Copy the Story Link